Sports net or court target

ABSTRACT

The subject matter described herein includes a sports court or net target. In one example, a sports net target includes a flexible target body comprising a fabric material and having a first side and a second side. The visual indicium is located on the first side for providing an area of visual focus for an athlete during practice of a sport. At least one attachment member is connected to the target body for attaching the target body to a sports net.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/496,328, filed Jun. 13, 2011 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/598,878, filed Feb. 14, 2012; the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

In sports, it is desirable to focus a player's vision on a desired target. For example, in a soccer goal, it may be desirable for practice purposes for a player to focus on aiming kicks towards a particular area of the goal. In tennis, it may be desirable to aim at particular lines or locations on the tennis court. It may also be desirable to serve or return balls over a particular portion of the net. In hockey and lacrosse, it may be desirable to practice shots on different regions of the goal. In volleyball, it may be desirable to aim serves or volleys over a particular portion of the net. Although different target configurations exist, there exists a need for a sports net or court target that is portable, facilitates a user's focus, and that is easy to manufacture.

SUMMARY

The subject matter described herein includes a sports target. The sports net target includes a flexible target body comprising a fabric material and having a first side and a second side. The visual indicium is located on the first side for providing an area of visual focus for an athlete during practice of a sport. At least one attachment member is connected to the target body for attaching the target body to a sports net.

According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, a sports court target is provided. The sports court target includes a flexible target body comprising a fabric material and having pairs of opposite edges, a first side, and a second side. A visual indicium is located on the first side for providing an area of visual focus for an athlete during practice of a sport. At least one straightening member is incorporated into at least one of the edges for straightening the target body so that the target body will lie substantially flat when placed on a sports court.

According to another aspect of the subject matter described herein, a sports net target is provided. The sports net target includes a target body including a frame member forming a desired shape for a sports net target. A frame covering member covers the frame member. The frame covering member has a first side bearing an indicia for increasing a user's visual focus on the sports net target and a second side for contacting the sports court or facilitating attachment to a sports net.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the subject matter described herein will now be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a sports net or court target according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of a sports net or court target according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein;

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a method for manufacturing a sports net or court target according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein;

FIG. 4 illustrates the placement of a sports net or court target in a soccer goal according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein;

FIG. 5 illustrates the placement of a sports net or court target on a tennis court according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein;

FIG. 6A is a front view of a sports net or court target according to an alternate embodiment of the subject matter described herein;

FIG. 6B is a sectional view of a straightening member incorporated in the sports net or court target illustrated in FIG. 6A;

FIG. 7 illustrates placement of sports net or court targets in the service box of the tennis court;

FIG. 8 illustrates placement of sports net or court targets along end lines of the tennis court;

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate the collapsible nature of sports net or court target 100 for compact storage;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a target hanging in a soccer goal where the target has a rectangular body according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein;

FIGS. 12A and 12B are images of a front view of a soccer target and a tennis target, respectively, according to embodiments of the subject matter described herein;

FIGS. 12C and 12D are images of rear views of a soccer and a tennis target according embodiments of the subject matter described herein;

FIGS. 12E and 12F are front and rear views of a sports net target according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of sports net or court targets hanging in a hockey goal according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of sports net or court targets hanging in a lacrosse goal according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein;

FIG. 15 is a front view of a sports net or court target hanging in a lacrosse net according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein;

FIG. 16 is a front view of a sports net or court target hanging in a hockey net according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein; and

FIG. 17 is a front view of a sports net or court target hanging in a tennis net according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter described herein includes a sports net or court target. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a sports net or court target according to an embodiment of the subject matter described herein. In FIG. 1, target 100 includes a frame member 102 that is formed into a desired shape of the top soccer or tennis target. In the illustrated example, frame member 102 comprises a tube that is bent into a circle. Target 100 also includes a frame covering member 104 that covers the frame member. Frame covering member 104 includes a front side that bears an indicia 108 for facilitating a user's focus on the frame member during soccer or tennis practice. In the illustrated example, indicia 108 comprises the logo “Play to Win, Live to Serve” surrounding a cross and encircled by a circle. Target 100 may also include attachment members 106, which may be Velcro® straps for attaching to a portion of a soccer goal or a tennis court net.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of sports net or court target 100. In FIG. 2, frame covering member 104 is sewn around frame member 102 via stitching 200 to form a round or circular target. Similarly, attachment members 106 are sewn to frame covering member 104. As stated above, attachment members 106 may include hook and loop fasteners, such as Velcro®, for attaching to a soccer goal, the net of a tennis court, or to a tennis, volleyball, hockey, or lacrosse net. In the illustrated example, each attachment member includes a hook member 106A containing the hook portion of the fastener and a loop member 106B containing the loop portion of the fastener. Hook member 106A and loop member 106B may be separable from each other outside the perimeter of the main body of target 100. Hook member 106A and loop member 106B may be sewn to the main body of target 100 via stitching 200 or via separate stitching.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a method of making a sports net or court target for an embodiment of the subject matter described herein. Referring to FIG. 3A, frame member 102 comprises a flexible tube that is bent into a circle and joined at the ends. To facilitate joining at the ends, a tube 300 of smaller diameter may be inserted in each end.

In FIG. 3B, frame covering member 104 may be folded or otherwise made to cover the entire member of frame member 102 and then sewn into place. Frame covering member 104 may be plastic, cloth, or fiber. In one example, frame covering member 104 may be made of a cloth or nylon material where the fabric is wrapped around frame member 102 and then sewn into place. A visual indicium 108 is preferably printed on frame covering member 104 before being attached to frame covering member 102.

FIG. 4 illustrates exemplary use of sports net or court target 100 in a soccer goal 400. In FIG. 4, attachment members 106 are attached to the netting of a soccer goal 400. A user 402 visually focuses on indicium 108 to kick soccer ball 404 into a desired location in soccer goal 400. Plural targets 100 may be attached to soccer goal 400 so that shots can be practiced into both sides of goal 400. In addition, target 100 can be moved up, down, or laterally to practice kicking high and low shots. The use of Velcro® straps as attachment members 106 facilitates attachment and detachment of target 100 to/from soccer goal 400.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of the use of target 100 on a tennis court. In FIG. 5, a tennis court 500 includes a playing surface 502. Target 100 may be placed at a desired location on playing surface 502 so that user 504 can aim shots at different locations on the playing surface 502. For example, when practicing serves, target 100 may be placed at or near baseline 506 to serve as a visual aid for serves. Target 100 may lie flat on the court or may be placed over a tennis ball when used at baseline 506. The portability of target 100 is important as it lies flat and will slide into a player's tennis bag so they can take it with them wherever they go. Target 100 can also be easily transported by coaches as many can fit in a single tennis bag. As with the use in the soccer goal, the indicia 108 printed on target 100 may make it more visible and increase concentration and accuracy. In addition, indicium 108 may be a logo used to promote a business, school, or other message. Target 100 may be useful as a warm up for a tennis match or in individual lessons or a practice.

In the examples illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, target 100 is round. In an alternate embodiment, target 100 may include a body that is substantially rectangular in shape to facilitate sewing around the edges. FIG. 6A illustrates such an embodiment. In FIG. 6A, target 100 includes a target body 102 that is substantially rectangular in shape. Body 102 includes indicium 108 for allowing an athlete to focus during tennis or soccer practice. To make body 102 lay flat when positioned on a tennis court, body 102 may include straightening member 600 sewn into at least one of the edges. In one embodiment, straightening member 600 may be a rubber or nylon rope sewn into at least two opposite edges by stitches 601.

FIG. 6B is a sectional view of a rigid member 600 through line B-B′ illustrated in FIG. 6A. In FIG. 6B, rigid member 600 comprises a rubber or nylon rope sewn into edge 602 of target body 102. In order to sew rigid member 600 into edge 602, a portion 604 of target body 102 is folded over rigid member 600 and sewn into place by stitches 601 along the entire length of each rigid member 600. It should be noted that when used in a soccer goal, rigid member 600 can be omitted, and edges 602 may just be folded over for durability and sewn using substantially the same pattern as illustrated in FIG. 6B. It also should be noted that when used a tennis target, attachment members 106 may be included or omitted. Even with rigid member 600, target 100 is still flexible enough to be rolled up or folded and put into a tennis bag.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of targets 100 with rectangular bodies located on opposite sides of a service box of a tennis court. Such placement may be used to facilitate tennis practice or tennis teaching where the athlete aims serves at targets 100. FIG. 8 is another example of targets 100 located in opposite corners of the end line of a tennis court. In FIG. 8, the student can practice volleys to opposite edges of the end line.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate advantages of target 100 as being rollable or fully collapsible. In FIG. 9, target 100 is rolled for compact storage, for example, in a bag used to carry soccer balls. In FIG. 10, target 100 is fully collapsible to a size that fits within a user's hand.

FIG. 11 is an example of target 100 with a rectangular body hanging in a soccer goal 400. The example illustrated in FIG. 11 is the same as that illustrated in FIG. 4 except for the shape of the target body is different. In addition, as set forth above, rigid member 600 or frame member 102 illustrated in FIG. 1 may be omitted when target 100 is rectangular and used in a soccer goal.

FIGS. 12A through 12D respectively illustrate front and rear views of a soccer target and a tennis target according to embodiments of the subject matter described herein. In FIG. 12A, a front view of soccer target illustrates the folded seams, the Velcro® attachment members, and the indicia suitable for visual focus. The rear view illustrated in FIG. 12C illustrates the folded edges and the stitching that provide increased durability. In FIG. 12B, the front view of a tennis target illustrates the indicia and the stitching that holds in the rigid members in the upper and lower edges. The rear view in FIG. 12D illustrates the stitching and folded edges that provide increased wear resistance. Both the soccer and tennis targets in FIGS. 12A through 12D are collapsible to fit in a soccer or tennis bag. The material used to make the soccer or tennis targets can be any collapsible material, such as canvas or vinyl. The material used to make the rigid members can be rubber or nylon rope, for example, having a diameter of about 5 mm.

FIGS. 12E and 12F are schematic drawings of a sports net target, as illustrated in FIGS. 12A and 12C. More particularly, FIG. 12E is a front view and FIG. 12F is a rear view of a sports net target. In FIG. 12E, it can be seen that target body 102 includes first and second sets of attachment members 106A and 106B for attaching to the net of a sports court. In FIG. 12F, it can be seen that the durability of target 100 is increased by folding side edges 1200 and 1202 and folding upper and lower edges 1204 and 1206. Stitching 1208 is then applied to the folded edges to maintain the folds. It should also be noted that stitching 1208 holds attachment members 106A and 106B to target body 102.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating sports net or court targets 100 hanging in a hockey goal 1300. Each target 100 may be of similar construction to the soccer target illustrated in FIG. 12A. However, target 100 illustrated in FIG. 13 may be smaller in dimension than a soccer target and may include two or four attachment members 106 for attaching to the netting of a hockey goal. In use, a forward or other hockey player may aim at targets 100 and to practice shooting the puck past the goal keeper towards targets placed at various locations in hockey goal 1300.

FIG. 14 illustrates targets 100 hanging in a lacrosse goal 1400. In FIG. 14, targets 100 are of similar construction to the targets illustrated in FIG. 13. Targets 100 may include attachment members 106 and indicia 108 for providing an area of visual focus for the lacrosse player. The lacrosse player can practice shooting past the goal keeper towards the lacrosse targets positioned at various places in the netting of lacrosse goal 1400.

FIG. 15 illustrates in more detail the indicia 108 of the hockey target 100 illustrated in FIG. 13 and its attachment to hockey goal 1300. In the illustrated example, Velcro® strips are provided to attach on opposing sides of one or more stands of hocking netting. Indicia 108 may be a company logo, a bull's eye, or any other suitable item for visual focus.

FIG. 16 illustrates in more detail the attachment of target 100 to a lacrosse goal, as illustrated in FIG. 14. In FIG. 16, target 100 attaches to the netting of lacrosse goal 1400 using Velcro® strips. Indicia 108 may be a bull's eye, a company logo, or any other suitable item for facilitating visual focus.

Targets 100 illustrated in FIGS. 13-16 may also be suitable for use to attach to the net of a tennis court for example, to allow a player to practice hitting shots over different regions of the net. FIG. 17 is a diagram of a sports net or court target hanging in a tennis net. In FIG. 17, target 100 hangs in tennis net 1700 below an area where a player may wish to aim shots.

In addition to being useful for practicing sports, any of the targets described herein can be used for promotional or advertising purposes. For example, indicium 108 may be the logo for a school, tournament, business, non-profit, university or college, sports club, sports team, sports league, a product, service. Thus, the subject matter described herein also includes using any of the targets described herein for promotional or advertising purposes.

One exemplary promotional method may include providing plurality of a sports court or net targets, each comprising a flexible target body made from a fabric material, a visual indicium printed on the target body for promoting or more of a university or college, sports club, sports team, sports league, product, or service. For example, any of the targets described herein may be printed with a promotional logo as indicium 108. The method may further include distributing the sports court or net targets to third parties to promote the school, tournament, business, non-profit, university or college, sports club, sports team, sports league, product, or service. For example, any of the targets described herein printed with a promotional logo may be distributed at events, such as trade shows, sporting events, fundraisers, etc., to promote the entity or product corresponding to the logo.

It will be understood that various details of the presently disclosed subject matter may be changed without departing from the scope of the presently disclosed subject matter. Furthermore, the foregoing description is for the purpose of illustration only, and not for the purpose of limitation. 

1. A sports net target comprising: a flexible target body comprising a fabric material and having a first side and a second side; a visual indicium located on the first side for providing an area of visual focus for an athlete during practice of a sport; and at least one attachment member connected to the target body for attaching the target body to a sports net.
 2. The sports net target of claim 1 wherein the target body is configured to attach to a tennis, volleyball, hockey, or lacrosse net for providing a target for a player to practice shots.
 3. The sports net target of claim 1 wherein the at least one attachment member comprises at least one hook member extending from the target body and containing a hook portion of a hook and loop fastener, and at least one loop member extending from the target body and containing a loop portion of a hook and loop fastener, wherein the hook portion and the loop portion are separable from each other to surround a portion of the sports net when open and to secure the target body to the portion of the sports net when closed.
 4. The sports net target of claim 3 wherein the at least one hook member and the at least one loop member comprise first and second sets of hook and loop members extending from a first common edge of the target body for hanging the target body in the sports net.
 5. The sports net target of claim 4 wherein the at least one hook member and the at least one loop member comprise third and fourth sets of the hook and loop members attached to a second common edge of the target body opposite the first common edge for releasably attaching the second common edge of the target body to the sports net.
 6. The sports net target of claim 1 wherein the target body is collapsible for compact storage.
 7. The sports net target of claim 1 wherein the target body is substantially flat, rectangular in shape, and includes edges where the fabric material is folded and sewn to the target body.
 8. The sports net target of claim 1 wherein the fabric material comprises canvas.
 9. The sports net target of claim 8 comprising at least one straightening member sewn into at least one edge of the fabric material for straightening the target body.
 10. The sports net target of claim 9 wherein the at least one straightening member comprises a rubber or nylon rope.
 11. The sports net target of claim 1 wherein the visual indicium comprises a logo for a school, tournament, business, non-profit, university or college, sports club, sports team, sports league, or a product.
 12. A sports court target comprising: a flexible target body comprising a fabric material and having pairs of opposite edges, a first side, and a second side; a visual indicium being located on the first side for providing an area of visual focus for an athlete during practice of a sport; and at least one straightening member being incorporated into at least one of the edges for straightening the target body so that the target body will lie substantially flat when placed on a sports court.
 13. The sports court target of claim 12 wherein the target body is substantially rectangular in shape and wherein the straightening member comprises a rubber or nylon rope sewn into at least two opposite edges of the target body.
 14. The sports court target of claim 13 wherein the at least two opposite edges comprise a first edge folded around a first straightening member and sewn to the target body to enclose the first straightening member and a second edge opposite the first edge, the second edge being folded around a second straightening member and sewn to the target body to enclose the second straightening member.
 15. The sports court target of claim 12 wherein the target body is collapsible for compact storage.
 16. The sports court target of claim 12 wherein the fabric material comprises canvas.
 17. The sports court target of claim 12 wherein the visual indicium comprises a bulls eye.
 18. The sports net target of claim 11 wherein the visual indicium comprises a logo for a school, tournament, business, non-profit, university or college, sports club, sports team, sports league, or a product
 19. A sports net or court target comprising: a target body including: a frame member forming a desired shape for a sports net or court target; and a frame covering member covering the frame member and having a first side bearing an indicia for increasing a user's visual focus on the sports net or court target and a second side for contacting a sports court or facilitating attachment to a sports net.
 20. The sports net or court target of claim 19 wherein the frame member comprises a tubular member formed into a circle and joined at its ends.
 21. The sports net or court target of claim 20 wherein the frame covering member comprises a canvas material folded over the tubular member and sewn to enclose the tubular member.
 22. The sports net or court target of claim 19 comprising at least one attachment member attached to the frame covering member facilitating attachment of the sports net or court target to netting of a soccer goal, a hockey goal, a lacrosse goal, a volleyball net, or a tennis court.
 23. A method for promoting a school, tournament, business, non-profit, university or college, sports club, sports team, sports league, product, or service, the method comprising: providing plurality of a sports court or net targets, each comprising a flexible target body made from a fabric material, a visual indicium printed on the target body for promoting or more of a university or college, sports club, sports team, sports league, product, or service; and distributing the sports court or net targets to third parties to promote the school, tournament, business, non-profit, university or college, sports club, sports team, sports league, product, or service. 